Jorge

Alfaro

Alfaro augments Chicago’s catching depth behind veteran Yan Gomes and former prospect Miguel Amaya heading into spring training as he’ll compete in the Cactus League for a spot on the Cubs’ season-opening roster. The 30-year-old one-dimensional slugging backstop never quite lived up to the hype as one of the most highly-regarded catching prospects of the last decade, but he’s a viable emergency option at this stage of his career. He got into 18 games this past season between the Red Sox and Rockies at the big league level.

Alfaro returns to Miami where he spent three seasons from 2019 to 2021, after a two-year odyssey that included stints with the Padres, Rockies and Red Sox. The 30-year-old backstop was regarded as one of the best athletic prospects at the position in recent memory on his way to the majors, but never quite put it all together at the highest level. He provides the Marlins with a quality backup catching option moving forward.

The 30-year-old hit .146/.121/.292 in 52 plate appearances this season with the Rockies and Red Sox. With how badly he played on both sides of the ball, it remains unlikely he will ink a deal with another ball club.

The Red Sox needed to make a move with Reese McGuire returning from the injured list on Tuesday, and they were simply unable to carry a third catcher. The 30-year-old backstop has hit a paltry .146/.212/.292 with one homer, four RBI and a 15/2 K/BB ratio in 52 plate appearances between the Rockies and Red Sox this season. Still, everyone seems to be looking for catching depth, so he could garner some attention on waivers.

Alfaro was designated for assignment by the Rockies earlier in the week and he refused his outright assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday. The 30-year-old backstop began the season in the Red Sox’ organization, but he opted out of his deal on June 1 after he didn’t earn a promotion to the big leagues. Caleb Hamilton was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Alfaro went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last week and will presumably opt to stick around with the Rockies as emergency catching depth.

With Kris Bryant returning from the injured list on Friday night, Alfaro became a victim of a roster crunch. The 30-year-old hit just .161/.188/.387 with a homer, four RBI and a 12/0 K/BB ratio in 32 plate appearances with the Rockies. Once again, he could attract interest on waivers.

Alfaro had served as the team’s designated hitter in four of their last five games, but he’ll take a seat on the pine with left-hander Patrick Sandoval on the hill for the Angels on Friday night. Randal Grichuk will function as the the club’s designated hitter while Elias Diaz handles the action behind the plate.

Alfaro will join Colorado’s catching mix for Thursday’s series opener against the Braves just a few days after signing a minor league contract. The 30-year-old backstop doesn’t figure to usurp Elias Díaz, who has put together a phenomenal season so far, but he should pick up the occasional start for the Rockies behind the dish. He’s batted .323/.366/.524 with seven homers and five steals across 205 plate appearances this season at the Triple-A level.

He’ll report to Triple-A Albuquerque for the time being, but it probably won’t be long before he gets an opportunity with the big league club. Alfaro opted out of his contract with the Red Sox last week after slashing a robust .320/.364/.523 with six homers and four stolen bases in 42 games at Triple-A Worcester.